Washable scuff with foam rubber sole



Aug. 7, 1951 B, ZA 2,563,092

WASHABLE SCUFF WITH FOAM RUBBER SOLES Filed Aug. 16, 1948 Patented Aug. 7, 1951 OFFICE 2,563,092 WASHABLE SCUFFSYXEETH FOALI RUBBER Florence B. Zacks, Columbus, Ohio Application August 16, 1948, Serial No. 44,423

This invention relates to house slippers or scuffs, and it is the general object of the invention to provide novel and improved footwear of this type which is made of inexpensive washable material. I

A further purpose of the invention is the provision of a novel scuff which is comfortable to wear, having a resilient, padded sole and uppers having no counter or heel enclosing portion, the scuff being retained on the foot by means of elastic vamp portions passing over the instep portion of the foot.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, a double fabric sole portion is provided having a permanent insert of foam rubber, and the vamp portion of the upper is reinforced by tape and gathered over the instep by means of an elastic band which serves to securely retain the scuff on the foot but without discomfort to the wearer.

By means of the construction provided, the scuff is washable in its intact wearable condition, there being no necessity for dismantling and reassembling the article for laundering.

Other objects and features of novelty will be apparent from the following specification when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which one embodiment of the invention is illustrated by way example.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in perspective of an article of footwear embodying the principles of the invention;

Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of the article shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a transverse somewhat diagrammatic sectional view taken on line 33 of Figure 2; and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view on a much enlarged scale and taken on line 44 of Figure 2.

The novel scuif or house slipper illustrated in the drawings in accordance with the present invention, is designated generally by the numeral Ill, and comprises a sole portion II and a combined vamp and toe portion l2, the latter constituting the upper of the article of footwear, there being no heel embracing portion or counter in the preferred embodiment.

The sole l I comprises two spaced areas of cloth, the uppermost area I4, upon which the foot is adapted to rest, bein marginally secured to the lower fabric area l5 by means of the taped seam I6, the connection being effected by stitching through the bias binding or tape I1 and the outwardly projecting margins of the fabric sole portions I4 and I5.

1 Claim. (Cl. 369) Within the confines of the fabric portions I4 and I5 there is disposed the flat slab or pad 20 of foam rubber. This assembly furnishes a flexible, resilient sole which not only furnishes adequate padding for the comfort of the wearer but also provides a sole which can be readily washed and subsequently dried without the necessit of taking the scuff apart and reassembling it. p

The margin of the upper toe portion I2 adjacent the welt portion of the scuff or where it meets the edges of the forward portion of the sole assembly I I, is bound in with the bias binding I! as indicated at IS in Figures 2 and 3.

The vamp and toe portion I2 is made of a suitable fabric, for example chintz, and may have a flowered or other decorative design or may be plain. Preferably, the portion I2 is formed of two layers of material such as indicated at 22 and 23, with a very thin layer of cotton batting 24 in between, thus providin a rather thin quilted vamp. The rear margin of the vamp l 2 is formed by a bias binding 25 which is of somewhat greater extent than the transverse configuration of the instep of the wearers foot at that point. The toe and vamp portion I2 may be further reinforced by the provision of the intermediate tape or band 21. The toe end of the portion I 2 is shaped to the forward part of the foot by appropriate gathers.

Forwardly of the flared or enlarged marginal binding 25 the material is gathered along the line 30 and sewed to a strip of elastic tape 3|, the ends 32 of the tape 3! being securely anchored, along with the ends of the reinforcing tape 21, within the binding I'I adjacent the point designated 35 on the welt portion of the scuff in the several figures of drawing. The converging gathered and taped portions of the vamp I2 may be independently secured together by stitching prior to binding the several layers of vamp and sole fabrics by means of the bias tape IT.

The novel scuff may be worn either as shown in Figure 1 of the drawings or as illustrated in Figure 2. In the first instance the flaring portion 31 of the vamp I2, which lies between the seam or line of gathers 30 and marginal binding 25, is extended rearwardly and is adapted to cover a greater portion of the instep of the wearer. This position is also indicated in dotted lines in Figure 2. On the other hand, the rearward portion 31 may be folded forwardly over the taped seam 30 as shown in solid lines in Figure 2, and in this position, it may give a somewhat more dressy appearance to the slipper.

Various changes and modifications may be made in the embodiment illustrated and described herein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the following claim.

Having thus described the invention, What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

A scuff or house slipper comprising a flat heelless sole portion and a combined vamp and toe portion secured thereto, which vamp and toe portion comprises the only uppers of the slipper, said sole portion consisting of two vertically spaced layers of readily flexible washable cloth fabric and a layer of foam rubber disposed between said fabric layers but free of securement to said fabric layers, the margins of said fabric layers projecting outwardly beyond said foam rubber layer and permanently secured together throughout the periphery of said sole portion, the fabric layers thus forming a closed pocket free of any openings whereby said foam rubber layer is permanently retained and adequately protected from damage and abnormal deterioration within the unitary assembly described, while at the same time being easily washable along with the fabric portions of the slipper, the vamp and toe portion being also of very flexible cloth fabric and having its lower margins adjacent the welt portion of the slipper overlapping the said margins of the fabric portion of the sole, and a common binding tape embracing said sole portion margin throughout the periphery of the sole, and also the said vamp and toe margins where they occur, and permanently stitched thereto, said vamp por tion being gathered and sewed to an elastic tape extending transversely across the instep portion of the vamp, and an ornamenting and reinforcing tape exteriorly of the combined vamp and toe portion and approximately bounding the respective toe and vamp areas thereof, the end portions of both the elastic tape and the reinforcing tape extending rearwardly and downwardly to join the sole portion adjacent the rear margin of the said combined vamp and toe portion where they too are embraced and secured by said binding ta e.

p FLORENCE B. ZACKS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

